Motor-controller.



PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

W. A. MGTAGGART.

MOTOR CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.Y15, 1904.

ggarb A cborney Inventor William AMTo. by W Witnesses X %4' m UNITED STATES ?atented February 28, 1905.

PATENT Orries.

TVILLIAM A. MGTAGGART, OF SOHENECTADY, NINV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NFAV YORK.

MOTOR-CONTROLLER,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,537, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed August 15, 1904. Serial No. 220,760.

To (all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. MoTAeeAu'r,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to motor-controllers, and more particularly to an are-deflecting or blow-out device for use in connection with controllers having a series of fixed and movable contacts.

In Patent bio/720,029, granted to Otto Holz on February 10, 1903, there is disclosed a blowout device for use in controllers having a rotatable member provided with a series of movable contacts adapted to engage with fixed contact-fingers, which device comprises a series of blow-out chambers corresponding in numher to the number of contacts and operatively related to the contacts in such a manner that it may be readily moved out of the way to permit inspection of the contacts. It is desirable that each chamber shall consist of a separate .unit, since it is more convenient to build up the device of individual units than to make it in one unitary structure. The blowouts may be more readily adjusted to meet changes in condition, and the repair of parts is facilitated and cheapened. When separate units have been employed, difliculty has been experienced in fastening the units together effectively without making the parts heavy and without introducing metallic fastenings in the zones of arcing. It is manifest that a slight increase in thickness in each wall of the arc chute or chamber adds materially to the size of the controller itself.

The present invention relates to blow-out or arc-deflecting devices of the character referred to, and has for its object to so form and arrange the parts of a blow-out that it shall be simple in construction and embody a minimum of size and a maximum of efficiency.

To the above ends 1 construct the blow-out chutes or chambers as individual elements or sections,which, together with a common backing, are assembled and secured together without the use of metallic fastenings within the zone of arcing.

The present invention relates to the devices and combinations of devices to be hereinafter described, and to be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whieh- Figure 1 shows a portion of a controller having one side removed so as to disclose my improved arc-deflecting device. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the controller, taken through one of the deflecting-chambers and adjacent one of the contacts. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the deflecting elements.

Similar reference characters will be used to denote corresponding parts throughout the specification and drawings.

A is a controller-casing in which is mounted the rotatable shaft A, carrying segmental contacts A A represents iixed contact-lingers suitably mounted on an insulated support A and adapted to cooperate with the movable contacts A The arc-deflecting device which constitutes the subject of the present invention consists of a chamber B for each set of controller-contacts, these chambers being formed of deflectingsections O and a suitable backing I), together with a blow-out magnet E, similar to that illustrated in the patent hereinbefore referred to. The deflecting-sections are preferably made as individual units, a number of which are as sembled to provide the requisite number of chambers. Since each of the sections O is similar to the other sections, a description of one will suflice for all. Each section consists of a plate 0, having a pair of bosses c and c projecting laterally from one face thereof, these bosses serving as spacing devices for holding the several plates their proper distances apart when assembled. The boss (P is made to serve the further purpose of receiving the securing means for the sections by providing it with a hole 0, so that when the several sections are assembled a single belt or shaft may be passed through these holes and by adjusting the nuts i F along the shaft and against the end section the sections are united l into a rigid structure supported by the shaft. 3

The shaft is pivotally supported by lugs A and A, projecting from the controller-casing, permitting the blow-out device to be swung into and out of position, the lower lug A being preferably provided with an adjustable stepbearing A in which the lower end of the shaft is seated. A catch A of any suitable construction engages with a lug A on the easing and serves to hold the blow-out device in its operative position. It is desirable to have the plates 0 as thin as possible, since an increase in the thickness of the plates represents a corresponding increase in the length of the controller and by providing these plates with spacing-bosses by which they may be secured together it is not necessary to make the plates themselves any thicker than is necessary in order to render them strong enough to stand ordinary rough usage without breaking. The blow-out magnet which is arranged adjacent the deflectingchainbers must be protected from the arcs by proper insulation, and where the several deflector-plates are made individually and thereafter assembled this insulation has heretofore been effected by securing a separate piece to the edges of the plate, so as to form one of the walls for each of the chambers. it has been customary to secure this backing directly to the plates by screws or other metallic fastenings sufficiently strong to support the plates. It is evident that a considerable thickness must be given to the plates-in order to furnish material to hold the screws, which are inserted in the edges of the plates. Moreover, unless the plates are made quite thick, so as to afford a reasonable depth of insulation between the screws and the interior of the deflecting-chain bers, danger exists of grounding the arcs through the screws, and even where the proper thickness of material is provided the repeated action of the are upon any one spot may fuse the insulating material and expose the fasteningscrews. In order to avoid the necessity of adding to the minimum thickness of the deflector-section and also to prevent any possibility of grounding the are which is to be deflected, .l. have provided means for securing the backing to the sections without the aid of metallic fastenings between the backing and the sections. To this end the bosses c c are provided with grooves d a, one edge of each of the grooves being coincident with the edge of the plate 0, and the thin backing Dis made to snugly fit these grooves, so that the sections are frictionally held together and a tight joint is provided which prevents any possibility of an are reaching the magnet.

E is a blow-out magnet common to all the chambers, and E is a thin pole-piece for the magnet. Thepole-piece E is secured to the backing D at points without the deflectingchambers, and consequently out of the zone of arcing. of rivets or screws w, placed near the ends of the backing and pole-pieces; but any suitable fastening means may be employed. Perforated ears E extend from the pole-piece E" of the magnet for receiving the shaft F. The ears E engage with shoulders on the shaft F or else are made to abut against the nuts I? and F. Therefore when the parts are assembled and the nuts properly adjusted the. deflecting-sections and the magnet, together with the shaft, are united into a unitary structure. This unit may be readily positioned in the controller and removed therefrom by simply adjusting the step-bearing, so as to release or hold the shaft. \Vhen the blow-out device is positioned in the controller-casing, the lower car preferably rests upon the step-bearing, so that the weight of the magnet is not borne by the spacing-bosses. Upon releasing the catch the entire blow-out device may be swung aside to permit the inspection of the controller-contacts.

\Vhilel have described in detail the best embodiment of my invention now known to me, the present invention is not limited to such details of construction, for in its broader aspects it maybe embodied in various other forms.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As an article of manufacture, an arc-deflector section comprising a thin deflectingplate having laterally projecting spacingbosses. g

2. As an article of manufacture, an arc-deflector section comprising a thin deflectingplate provided with laterally-projecting spacing-bosses, and grooves adapted to receive a backing-plate.

3. As an article of manufacture, an arc-deflector section comprising a deflecting-plate provided with laterally-projecting spacingbosses adjacent one edge the bosses having grooves coincident with said edge.

f. An arc-deflector having a plurality of defleeting-chambers formed of a series of sections consisting of deflecting-plates [)lOVldOtl with spacing-bosses, and a common backing connecting said plates.

5. An arc-deflector having a plurality of defleeting-chambers formed of a series of sections consisting of deflecting-plates provided with spacing-bosses, a common backing connecting said plates, and means for clamping said bosses together.

6. An arc-deflector having a plurality of deflecting-chambers formed of a series of sections each consisting of a grooved deflectingplate having spacing-bosses, and a common backing engaging in the grooves of said plate.

'7. An arc-deflector having a plurality of deflecting-chambers formed of a series of deflecting-plates having grooves, a common backing for said chambers engaging in said grooves,

The fastenings illustrated consist and a magnetic pole-piece secured to said backing at points Without the chamber-Walls.

8. An arc-deflector comprising a plurality of defl ecting-plates each provided with a spacingboss, means for clamping the spacingbosses together, a backing uniting corresponding edges of the plate, and a blow-out magnet adjacent the backing.

9. An arc-deflector comprising a plurality of deflecting-plates each having a spacingboss, a backing for uniting corresponding edges of the deflector-plate, a blow-out magnet, ears extending from the magnet, a shaft passing through said bosses and said ears, and means for holding the parts in operative relations to each other.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of August, 1904.

' VILLIAM A. MOTAGGART.

Vitnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL,

HELEN ORFORD. 

